


In Sickness And Health

by missthingsplace



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Complete, Illnesses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28613007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missthingsplace/pseuds/missthingsplace
Summary: Alec is really sick and Magnus is determined to find a cure.Trigger warning: Pandemic, COVID19
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 17
Kudos: 49





	In Sickness And Health

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Shadowhunters or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.

“Alexander, are you sure you are okay?” Magnus asked concerned when his husband had another coughing fit.

“I'm fine, it's nothing,” Alec reassured him once again, “it's just a cough.”

“But you don't look well,” Magnus frowned, “do you think it could be the flu?”

“I never get sick,” Alec grumbled.

Magnus moved across Alec's office and placed a hand on his forehead, it felt both hot and damp.

“You have a temperature Alexander,” Magnus said, “you need to go home and rest.”

“I don't have time to rest, I have work to do!” Alec stated stubbornly.

“And what use will you be to the Institute if you do have the flu and work yourself into the ground?” Magnus countered. “Izzy will stand in for you, she's not your second in command for nothing, you are coming home with me, I will inform Izzy.”

Before Alec had a change to argue Magnus had sent a fire message to Izzy, telling her what was happening and why, by the time Magnus had created a portal Izzy had rushed through the door and having taken one look at her brother she had to agree with Magnus.

“Go home big brother, if you do have the flu we don't want the whole Institute going down with it,” Izzy told him. “take him home Magnus and make sure he goes to bed.”

“Bed … sounds like a good idea,” Alec said, sounding a little out of it.

“He will be going to bed, to rest, I can assure you Isabel,” Magnus told her. 

“Let me know how he is,” Izzy asked as Magnus helped Alec up from his chair and supported him as they walked to the portal awaiting them.

“I will my dear,” Magnus told her and with that they vanished.

****

When they stepped out the portal, into their apartment moments later Alec almost toppled over, managed to catch his balance and then had another coughing fit.

“Bedroom,” Magnus ordered, “you need rest and one of my potions for that cough, also to bring your temperature down.”

“Fine,” Alec grumbled, but he didn't want to admit that he was starting to feel really unwell.

Magnus helped him strip his clothes off, found him a warm pair of pyjamas and managed to get him to go to bed with less hassle than he imagined.

“I'll be back with the potion,” Magnus said, pulling the duvet up to his husbands chin.

“Sure,” Alec replied, snuggled down and closed his eyes.

Magnus had barely left the room when he heard Alec coughing again, he hurried to his office, quickly gathering the ingredients required for the potion he hoped would help Alec and put it together fast. Tipping it into a glass tumbler he carried it back to the bedroom, hearing more coughing and almost dropped the glass at the site of Alec, he looked even more ill and pale than he had barely half an hour earlier.

He helped him sit up and rubbed his back until the coughing had subsided again then held the glass to his lips while he drank it.

“This should also make you sleep,” Magnus said when Alec had drank the potion, “I really do think you have the flu, maybe a chest infection or even both.”

“Thank you,” Alec said, his voice barely a whisper, then his eyes fluttered closed and was fast asleep.

Magnus left the room and called Izzy.

“Magnus, did you manage to get him to rest?” Izzy asked when she answered.

“Yes, but I think he is really sick,” Magnus told her truthfully, “I'm thinking either the flu or a chest infection, I have given him something for the symptoms and to make him sleep, I am hoping he will be a bit better after some rest.”

“Should I call a medic from Idris?” Izzy asked, concerned for her brother.

“No need to panic, maybe tomorrow if he worsens overnight,” Magnus replied.

“Okay, but keep me in the loop, okay?” Izzy said, her worry for her brothers health in her voice.

“I will,” Magnus promised her and cut the call.

Magnus went back to the bedroom to check up on Alec, he was sleeping peacefully, certain he would be okay for a while Magnus went back to his office and made more of the potion, putting doses into small glass bottles for future uses if needed. 

He was just wondering if he should sleep in the spare room that night so he didn't disturb Alec when his mobile rang, picking it up from his desk he answered it straight away.

“Izzy?” Magnus asked, “nothing has changed so far with Alec, he's still sleeping.”

“I don't think he has the flu Magnus,” she replied, “three other Shadowhunters have gone down with the same symptoms and … Magnus, there is hardly anyone out in the city, Clary and Jace have just returned from a mission and they said it's weird out, like a ghost town.”

“It can't be … can it?” Magnus said mostly to himself, then to Izzy, “isolate them in the infirmary and don't let anyone visit.”

“What is it Magnus, what's wrong with them?” Izzy asked, panic rising in her voice.

“I don't want to say until I'm sure,” Magnus replied. “keep an eye on them but don't enter the room with out a face mask.”

“Magnus? Tell me!” Izzy yelled at him.

“Give me an hour, I will call you back, I promise,” Magnus said, “Stay safe.”

Magnus cut the call and went out on the balcony, looking across the city, it was true, there was barely anyone on the street and not a car in sight. 

Picking up his mobile again he made another call.

“Catarina?” He asked the second she answered, “Please tell me it's not what I think it is?”

“What do you mean?” Catarina replied, sounding exhausted and clearly not really thinking straight.

“Alexander is really sick and so are three other Shadowhunters,” Magnus explained, “there is barely any sign of Mundane's in the city. Is it what I think it is? Some kind of pandemic?”

“Do you ever watch TV Magnus?” Catarina sighed. “Mundane news?”

“No, never,” He admitted.

“There a corona-virus, covid 19 and it's spreading fast, across the whole world,” Catarina explained. “it originated in China and the number of people being admitted to hospital is growing daily. Thousands of people have caught it, many of those in hospital on ventilators and sadly the amount of deaths are increasing fast. The hospitals are filling up quicker than we have help those already there. The city has gone into lock-down, it started back in March as far as we know and it's not getting any better..”

“March! Alec is really sick, temperature and a cough,” Magnus told her.

“The most common symptoms,” Catarina replied. “it's highly contagious Magnus, I haven't heard of anyone in the downworld contracting it though, it might be the demon blood making our immune system more resilient.”

“What can we do?” Magnus asked, “For Alec and the other Shadowhunters?”

“Have you tried he healing rune?” she asked.

“No, I didn't think of it,” Magnus admitted, “we thought it was just the flu, but the potion I gave him is helping for now, he is asleep and not woken coughing as yet.”

“It will affect his lungs and heart,” Catarina replied, “if it gets bad he will have trouble breathing, Magnus, you need to get him to use the heeling rune, even if you have to hold the stele in his hand for him. If that doesn't have any effect, try and see if you have any spells, potions that can help him and the others.”

“Thanks Catarina,” Magnus said before she cut the call. He went to check up on Alec again, he was still asleep but his forehead was even hotter, beads of sweat running from it and down his face. He sent Izzy a long text, explaining everything Catarina had told him and suggested she contact the Clave, tell them what was happening and that she needed medics, that specialise in viruses.

He thought for a minute and then sent her another one, to tell them they need PPE, personal protective equipment, and added, that she should use it too and hope they she hadn't already contracted it.

Then he went and pulled various books from the shelves in his office, casting a spell on each one in the hope that something useful, something to help Alec and the others recover from the pandemic. A few of books came up with spells or potions that could be of use, he put them in a small pile and picked the one off the top.

He had barely started to read when his mind fill with memories of past pandemics that the world had seen during his long life, The Black Death, Plagues in Russia, Marseilles, AIDS and many strains of flu that had killed thousands of people … he couldn't believe something like this was happening now, in the twenty first century.

He shook the morbid memories from his head and began reading the books, he had only gone through two, one of the potions sounding like it might be promising, when he heard Alex coughing loudly. Jumping to his feet he grabbed one of the little glass bottles of potion prepared earlier rushed to his husband.

“Alexander!” Magnus called at the sight of him, doubled up and coughing loudly. “Here, take this please.”

He opened the small bottle and held it to Alec's lips, tipping it slowly into his husbands mouth until it was gone.

“Magnus?” Alec asked, looking at him with bleary eyes.

“It's me my love,” Magnus told him softly. “I'm here, you just get better for me.”

“Feel so sick,” Alec mumbled, his eyelids already drooping.

Looking about Magnus spotted Alec's Stele sticking out of his jacket pocket, he managed to reach it with his hand and put it in Alec's holding it to keep it in his husbands grip.

“You need to try your healing rune Alexander,” Magnus told him, “before you sleep again.”

Alec looked at the Stele for a moment, as if trying to work out what it was and then gently pulled the sleeve of his pyjama jacket up to show the mark. Magnus helped him move the Stele over it, seeing it glow he hoped it helped, even if it didn't cure him completely.

“Sleep, keep your strength up for me Alexander,” Magnus said, helping him to lay back down and pulling the duvet back over him. “I will find something to help you.”

“Mmmmm,” Alec murmured and drifted back into sleep.

Magnus didn't want to leave him, he wanted to stay and hold him, comfort him but he knew he had a job to do, not just for Alec but for the other Shadowhunters too … and maybe in the world he added to his thought.

Settling back at his desk he went through the rest of the spells and potions, finding one spell and three potions that might work he began going around his office, collecting the ingredients. He looked absently at his mobile when he heard it beep indicating it was a text, when he spotted it was from Izzy he opened it to read.

She was informing him that the medics had arrived from the Clave, they had arrived with enough PPE for themselves and her and were monitoring the three Shadowhunters. They had placed a sign on the door of the infirmary stating that it was a quarantined area and no-one was to enter without their permission or the right equipment. She added that two were stable but the third was having trouble breathing and had been put on a ventilator.

Magnus began to feel really scared for Alec, he turned the phone off so it didn't distract him and got to work on the potions, making each one meticulously and putting them in labelled bottles. He copied the spell onto a piece of paper and put it with them. Turning his phone back on he sent Izzy a text informing her that he had some potions to try, if they worked on Alexander he would make more and take it to the Institute.

He yawned a stretched his arms over his head, looking at the clock it was gone midnight. If the potion he had given to Alec had the same effect it would be about an hour or so before he woke again. Gathering the potions and the spell he carried them to the bedroom along with the rest of the bottle of the previous potion where Alec slept peacefully and placed them on the table near the bed. He knew he couldn't try them all at one but he wanted them all on one place and in easy reach.

Making the decision he undressed, put on a pair of warm pyjamas like the ones Alec wore and climbed into the bed, cuddling up to his husband and holding him tightly, trying to get a little sleep before Alec woke.

Magnus felt like he had only just drifted into sleep when Alec's coughing woke him.

“I'm here,” he told him, “I have something that might make you well.”

Magnus slipped out of bed, picked up one of the bottle of one of the new potions and coaxed Alex into drinking it. He drank down slowly in-between coughs, when it was gone Magnus set the bottle down and looked at his husband.

“Do you feel anything? Is it helping your chest?” Magnus asked, looking into Alec's droopy eyes.

“No … oh sh...” Alec uttered and then without warning threw the contents of his stomach up all over himself, Magnus and the bed and then burst into tears.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Alec uttered, beginning to cough again.

“It's okay,” I can clean this up.” Magnus replied, and with a flourish and a click of his fingers the vomit vanished and everything smelt clean and fresh.

“Am I dying Magnus? Tell me the truth?” Alec asked before a coughing fit hit him again.

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” Magnus told him, “I will cure you.”

“I'm so tired, I have never felt this ill” Alec told him, “I want this to be over.”

“It will be,” Magnus replied, picking up a bottle of the previous potion, reassuring him it was the other potion he had already and and getting him to drink. “I will cure you, I promise.”

Alec nodded, the potion beginning to work, his eyes dropped and then he forced them open again and looked Magnus in the eyes.

“In sickness and health,” he said quietly before letting sleep take him over once more.

“Yes Alexander,” Magnus said, “exactly that.”

With that Magnus climbed back into bed with his husband, held him tight, exhaustion claiming him into sleep himself.

“No!” Magnus woke up yelling the word out loud, awake from a nightmare where he was alone, where Alec had died.

He checked Alec, still asleep and breathing and let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding with relief. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep again he got out of bed, padded barefoot to the kitchen and made a large mug of coffee. 

Turning his mobile back on and checking for anything he might have missed he found a short text from Izzy informing him that the three Shadowhunters at the Institute were stable in their varying conditions. She also had news, the medics from the Clave were developing a test for the virus based on the one the Mundanes had produced, so they could test everyone at the Institute, which was on lock-down unless something urgent arose and them only a small, elite team would leave to deal with it. Jace and Clary included, who had volunteered.

That made Magnus nervous, worried that his friends would get sick too with this awful virus. He headed back to Alec and sat on the armchair in the room facing the bed, telling himself that Alec was going to be fine, that everyone was going to be fine. One of the potions or the spell was going to work. Slowly he slipped, exhausted into sleep.

When Magnus woke the sun was rising in the sky, blinking in the bright light he moved from where he sat to the bed to check on Alec who was still asleep and checked his pulse, which was racing and he still had a temperature. Conjuring up a small bowl of tepid water and a cloth he used them to wipe across his husbands burning forehead, hoping it would sooth if nothing else.

He stopped and looked down at Alec's face, he looked strangely peaceful lying there. 

“You have to survive this Alexander,” Magnus whispered, more to himself than to his husband, “you can't be rid of me this easily.”

He bent his head down and kissed Alec softly, first on the cheek and then the lips, when he drew back he spotted Alec's eyes beginning to flutter open.

“Did you kiss me,” Alec managed to get out quietly before the coughing returned.

“I did,” Magnus replied, reaching for the bottle with the second new potion he had made. “we really need to stop that cough and get you well. Try this for me?”

Alec eyed the bottle with suspicion. “It won't make me vomit again, will it?”

“I don't think so, but if it does, then I will deal with it,” Magnus assured him.

“I have a bit of a,” Alec had to pause to cough again, “phobia of vomiting.”

“This is a completely different potion,” Magnus told him.

“Can you promise I won't vomit?” Alec frowned.

“No, my love,” Magnus replied honestly. “but I still need you to take it, it might be the one to cure you. Your healing rune doesn't seem to have had any effect at all.”

“Okay,” Alec sighed and let Magnus hold the little bottle to his mouth so he could drink.

“Okay?” Magnus asked, “No nausea?”

“No … it tasted kind of pleasant actually,” Alec replied before the coughing hit him again.

“I don't think it will work instantly,” Magnus sighed, “I think you should take some more of the original potion, the more you can sleep, rest the better.”

Alec nodded, happy to be out of it and not feeling like he was coughing his guts up and drank the other potion willingly.

“Stay with me?” Alec murmured before drifting back to sleep once more.

Magnus moved back to the armchair in the room and pulled out his mobile, then deciding he needed a faster means of reply he headed to his office, wrote a fire message and sent it to Izzy, asking if the medics had perfected the covid test.

A minute or so later he got his reply, the medics had done their job and were currently testing everyone at the Institute and the others around the world where Shadowhunters were also showing symptoms. At the New York Institute they had found two more with symptoms and they had been quarantined along with the first three, another six had tested positive without any symptoms and had been made to isolate. The rest had so far tested negative, including Izzy herself, Jace and Clary which made him sigh with relief. She also added that the Mundane world was working on a vaccine, in various countries.

Magnus sent her a quick note back, thanking her for the information and headed to the kitchen to make a large mug of coffee. He realised he hadn't eaten anything in the last twenty four hours but he had no appetite so he didn't bother, going back to the bedroom he settled into the chair and sipped his drink, deciding that if the last potion didn't make any difference them he would try the spell not wanting to put any more new potions into Alec's body again unless he had to.

Coffee drank he pulled his phone from his pocket, logged onto the internet and found a streaming news channel. What he saw horrified him, the amount of deaths was in the thousands and climbing and the number of people testing positive was astronomical. There was no cure, only treating the systems but they were hopeful for a vaccine by the beginning of the new year. Which was still many months away.

He turned the news off, feeling more depressed and less optimistic about Alec's recovery, got to his feet and went back to Alec. Touching his brow he wasn't sure it if felt slightly cooler of if it was wishful thinking. He told himself off mentally for thinking negatively, moved around the bed to climb under the covers once more and held his husband tightly.

He didn't really sleep, he just dozed, waiting for the next time Alec woke so he could see if the potion had worked in any way. When Alec next woke he was still coughing hard but his fever had finally broken and he was a little more coherent. 

“How long since I came home?” Alec managed to get out before coughing again.

“About thirty six hours,” Magnus told him, “how are you feeling?”

“Other than the coughing, which is making my chest hurt a lot,” Alec replied, between coughing fits, “and my breathing seems to be a bit harder than usual.”

“You have something called Covid 19, a corona-virus,” Magnus explained to him, filling him in on some of the information Catarina had given him, finishing with “it's a pandemic affecting the whole world, Shadowhunters and Mundanes alike.”

“You're not sick?” Alec asked him.

“No-one in the Down-world appears to be affected,” Magnus replied, “Catarina believes it's something to do with out demon blood.”

“That's something,” Alec nodded. “is there a cure?”

“No, not in the Mundane world, but I am trying my best to find something, a potion or spell that will help you,” Magnus explained. “rest is what you need more than anything and the potion I gave you, the original one soothes the cough and induces sleep, which can only help.”

“I don't want to sleep,” Alec sighed, then had a long coughing fit which caused him to struggle to take in his breath.

“I know, I can understand that,” Magnus told him gently, “but I believe it's slowing down the illness. Your fever has broken but I don't think that's due to anything I have given you and your breathing isn't good, please agree to take the potion and rest again, for me Alexander?”

“Okay,” Alec agreed, realising it was pointless trying to argue about it and the cough really was bothering him.

“Can I get you anything first? Hungry? Thirsty?” Magnus asked.

“Some water would be good,” Alec agreed.

Magnus obliged with a click of his fingers and he handed the glass of cold water to his husband, who propped himself up in the bed drank it down quickly then gave Magnus the empty glass back.

“I want to try something different this time, before you take that potion,” Magnus told him, “there is a spell that might work is that okay?”

“Anything that might make me well,” Alec agreed.

Magnus reached for the piece of paper he had copied the spell onto, cleared his throat and began to read the words, written in old. ancient English out loud, not stopping until the end.

“I don't feel any different,” Alec stated.

“I think it takes a while to work,” Magnus admitted, and then in his head to himself, “please work, please.”

“I'll take that potion again now,” Alec said, beginning to feel weary again from the coughing.

Magnus then reached for the potion, handed it to his husband who drank it down just as fast and settled back down in bed. Waiting until his husband was asleep again Magnus then went back to his office and sat at his desk with his head in his hands and let the tears of frustration roll down his face.

Magnus woke up some time later, his whole upper body aching from falling asleep in such an uncomfortable position. Checking the time he realised he had been asleep for hours and that the apartment was silent. He was expecting to hear coughing coming from the bedroom but there was nothing. He jumped to his feet and sped through to the bedroom, flinging open the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Alec was still fast asleep, the potion should have worn off again long ago but he could tell he was sleeping naturally. He moved quietly across the room and crouched down beside the bed, listening to his husbands breathing which to him, sounded much more normal. He dropped to the ground where he stood, sitting on the floor and taking Alec's hand in his own he kissed it softly.

He stayed then until Alec began to stir, this time when he woke he didn't instantly start coughing. Realising his hand was being held be turned his head and found Magnus watching him with a smile.

“How are you feeling?” Magnus asked, shifting around to change his position so he was on his knees.

“I feel … amazing,” Alec told him, “no pain in my lungs, no trouble breathing and the cough has gone!”

“It worked,” Magnus grinned, leaning forward to kiss his husband softly.

“Thank you,” Alec said.

“No thanks required,” Magnus assured him. “there was no way I was letting that virus take you from me.”

“Are the others okay? Izzy, Jace and Clary?” Alec asked a little frantically.

“They are covid free,” Magnus told him happily. “I need to let the Institute know I have a spell than can sure the sick Shadowhunters.”

“Go, do your thing Warlock,” Alec told him, recalling a conversation they had once had and smiling as he replied, “I'm not going anywhere.”

“I won't be long,” Magnus promised.

“And I will be waiting,” Alec replied.

“It's a shame this spell can't be used in the mundane world,” Magnus mused out loud, picking up the paper with it written on so he could send it to the other Institutes.

“Nothing you can do at all?” Alec asked.

“I'll have to think on it,” Magnus replied, “maybe I can speed along the process of making the vaccination … maybe.”

Alec nodded. “Now go and save the Shadow World.”

Magnus created a portal and with a grin he vanished though it to heading to the Institute.

The End.


End file.
